Beauty Crowd Mini Haul Swatches and First Impressions...

So as you might have seen from yesterday's post, I did some shopping online at Beauty Crowd :D

I promised I would take some better pictures, and swatches and possibly some first impressions, so here it is :)

 I got a sample of this Bell foundation and primer. I used the foundation today, and I did really like it, but it didn't wow me enough to want to buy the full sized product.

I also got the Milani Illuminating Face Powder in the shade Beauty's Touch. It is really hard to see the swatch from the pictures, being a subtle blush/highlighter, but I do really like it.

You can buy it here: https://www.beautycrowd.com/products/milani-illuminating-face-powder
It retails at £8.
 

I also bought this LA Girl Ultra Eyeshadow Palette. The swatches was one light amount of the eyeshadow, so I think they are really nicely pigmented given the price!
I couldn't find it on the website but it retails at £6.

I also got one of these Bell lipsticks thrown in too, it is a gorgeous shimmery pink shade. Admittedly it isn't the kind of I would normally reach for but it also means I don't have a colour much like this, but I definitely want to start wearing these kind of colours. It also feels so moisturising and smooth!
I can't find it on the Beauty Crowd website, nor do I know the retail price. I will keep by eye out and update this post as soon as I see they are available.

I also bought the Milani Total Cover Mascara. I have used it twice now and it is amazing! It really gives the illusion of false lashes and you only need 2 coats at the most!
You can buy it here: https://www.beautycrowd.com/products/milani-total-lash-cover-mascara

It retails at £6.

I also bought the LA Girl Pro Concealer in the shade natural. I used it today and the coverage is flawless! It is very comparable to the Erase Paste by Benefit, but as such a lower price. I don't like the applicator too much, but for the quality of the product it isn't too much to put up with.

You can buy it here: https://www.beautycrowd.com/products/l-a-girl-usa-pro-conceal

It retails at £5.

I also bought the Micellar water from Bell. It is so soothing on the skin and feels so gentle. The micellar water I am currently using is one I am not too fond of anyway but it stings my skin when I use it, but this one doesn't do that at all! It feels so nice!

You can buy it here: https://www.beautycrowd.com/products/bell-hypoallergenic-micellar-makeup-remover

It retails at £4.95.

This was just a quick blog post, again, for you all :)

New blog post coming at some point at the weekend!

<3

Beauty Crowd Mini Haul...

This is just going to be a super quick mini haul post, as I am currently fighting to keep my eyes open, as recently I have had major trouble sleeping and last night I had about 3 hours sleep at the most and it's been like that for a few weeks now, and it is most definitely taking it toll on me now! Ahhhhh, but I really wanted to get a blog post up for you all, so here it goes :)

Being a blogger I was able to sign up and be a part of Beauty Crowd's Pro site, where they sell various makeup products at discounted prices, and with it all so cheap how could I say no? haha.

I got this parcel in the post today, and I was super excited! Look how cute it is...

When I opened it, I saw these two things and I thought, oh I didn't order these, and they were thrown in for free! yay. I got a free lipstick in a bright pink shade and a free sample of a foundation and a primer.

And then to the stuff I actually paid for, how exciting does that all look? Oh, it's just me? Haha. I get way too excited when it comes to makeup.

In the big thing at the top is an eyeshadow palette, by LA Girl, its the Brick Eyeshadow Palette in Ultra. I also got a bottle of micellar water by Bell Hypoallergenic as I just ran out of my previous micellar water and I literally love using it to remove makeup, so I knew I couldn't live without some more! 

I also got one of the Milani Illuminating Face Powder, as I have heard so much about them! I got mine in the shade Beauty's Touch. It looks so pretty and amazing, and just WOW.

I also got one of the LA Girl Pro Concealers as, again, I've heard so much good stuff about this concealer. They didn't have the lightest one in stock so I got the shade Natural, but it still looks perfect for my skin tone.

I also got a Milani Total Lash Cover Mascara, the wand looks... interesting, but in a good way! I actually used it today and I love it!

I got all this for under £13! Bargain, right, I know! Amazing.

Thank you Beauty Crowd Pro <3

A first impressions and swatch post will be coming very, very soon!

Sorry for the lack of pictures, but there will be more pictures, that are clearer in my swatch and first impressions post.

:)

Job Interview Makeup and Outfit...

As you might have guessed by the title, I had a job interview today, eeeeeeek, scary I know! I was so nervous this morning, I could hardly eat because I felt so sick, haha!

I had initially decided I wouldn't wear makeup as I didn't want to look 'fake', but then when I found out that I had to do a presentation as part of the interview I knew I wouldn't feel comfortable with no makeup on while doing a presentation. Because doing presentations are probably one of the scariest things I have ever had to do and I avoid them at all costs! Even at university when it came to doing group presentations I would be the only one in the group who wouldn't talk! Ah I hate them, but I do know I would find it slightly less nerve racking if I felt comfortable within my own skin, so therefore I knew I had to wear makeup.

Yes, I know it is silly that I don't feel comfortable without makeup on, but I just love how makeup can just cover my blemishes and instantly make me feel better.

I did do a more 'minimal' makeup look, and it was a lot more natural(ish) than usual. I understand that this may still be a lot of makeup to some, but to me it isn't much at all, and if you look at my previous makeup look posts, I do use a lot more products in those than I have in this one :)

So here is the look :) 

I wore black smart trousers from Peacocks, a black blouse from Dunnes, and a grey blazer from Primark (I think). I got all of the outfit about two years ago, so can not remember the price of the blouse and the blazer, but I do know Peacocks still sell the trousers and they are around £9. 

 On my face I used Benefit's That Gal brightening face primer, which I LOVE and I am seriously considering buying the full sized product once I have the money, I love it that much! I then used Benefit's Porefessional under my eyes and around my nose. 

Then I used Natural Collection's Green Concealer to cover my redness. Then for foundation I used Benefit's Hello Flawless foundation, followed by Maybelline's Fit Me concealer under my eyes and over anymore blemishes that were still peaking through.

I also used Urban Decays All Nighter Setting Spray when I had finished all my makeup to set it all.

 Then on the rest of my face I used MAC's Prep and Prime Transparent finishing powder to set my under eye concealer. I then used Freedom's Bronzer to bronze my face a little, and I used the Freedom Pro Warm Lights contour shade to contour my cheek bones and nose slightly.

Then I used Natural Collection's Blusher in the shade Peach Melba.

 On my brows I used the usual Soap and Glory Archery Brow Pencil, and Benefit's Gimme Brow. I drew my brows on a LOT thinner and more 'natural' looking today, as bold brows probably would have looked weird with such a minimal makeup look.

On my eyes I used, the usual, MUA Essential Matte's Eyeshadow Palette, using the first shade in the top row all over the lid and to highlight the brow bone and then the last shade, top row, in the crease. As you can probably tell, recently this has been my go to palette for everyday use.

Then I used my fave Primark Lift and Curl mascara on my top lashes only, and Rimmel London's Scandal Eyes eyeliner in the shade                nude, just to brighten my eyes a little.

I hope some of you found this post useful, as, for me anyway, this is a very minimal, everyday kind of look. I literally took me 10 minutes too, if that, so it is great for when you're in a rush.

Just incase you want to know, I actually passed that interview and I am onto the next stage of the interview process, which I have no idea if its the last stage or not, but none the less, I am one step closer to hopefully getting a job. YAY :)

I will hopefully have a super exciting blog post coming on Thursday of me showing you how to achieve this purple 'ombre' eyeshadow look. And it will hopefully be a video of me doing it, if not it will be a step by step guide.

I also have a massive list of other blog posts I want to do soon too, so keep an eye out for plenty more to come :)

MAC Stone Lipliner makeup look...

Hey, so the other day I received MAC's stone lipliner in the post, special mention to my boyfriend James for buying it for me! I have wanted it for SO long, and I recently went into a MAC store and there was none left, so I ended up ordering it online. As soon as it came I just had to do all my makeup and try it out, as you do.

Here is the look I created, nothing too much, just a simple eye, bold brows, contour, and the bold Stone lip:

Here is how I created the look:

 On my face I used L'oreal Nude Magique BB Cream. I don't use this very often, because it is usually slightly too dark for me, but I love it, and now I fake tan it is actually perfect. I used this as a primer rather than a BB cream. Over the top I used a tiny bit of Benefit's Porefessional under my eyes, and around my nose.

Then I used Benefit's Hello Flawless foundation, which is soooooo nice! I haven't used it much but it really does make you look flawless, even without concealer! But, I still used my Collection concealer, as no matter how good the coverage, I still don't think I'd ever be able to do my makeup without using concealer.

Then I set my under eye concealer with MAC's Prep and Prime Transparent Finishing Powder, and then set the rest of the face with Benefits Hello Flawless Powder. Then I bronzed my cheeks, forehead, chin and jaw line with Benefit's Hoola. I contoured with Freedom's Bronzed Professional Pro Warm Lights, I also used the lightest shade to highlight under my eyes, down my nose and under my contour. I used Benefit's Rockateur Blusher, and MUA's Undress Your Skin to highlight.

On my brows I drew them on and filled them in using Soap and Glory's Archery Brow Pencil, and then used Benefit's Gimme Brow.

On the eyes I used the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Creamy Beige, and then I used the light brown colour (last colour, top row) from the MUA Essential Mattes Palette in my crease and a tiny bit on the lower lid. Then I coated my lashes in the Freedom Curl Mascara.  

And then, obviously, I used MAC's stone lipliner all over the lips. I did apply the tiniest amount of Vaseline to the lips first though, as my lips were slightly dry and I knew using this lipliner all over would dry them out even more without the Vaseline. It also made it easier to fill in the lips too!

I hope you all like this look, I absolutely loved it! And I am in love with the Stone lipliner too! I will definitely be getting the lipstick version when it comes out in August/September here in the UK!

TanTastic First Impressions...

I was lucky enough to be sent to me a box full of goodies from the brand called TanTastic. I have tried fake tanning before, recently and a couple of years ago and nothing has ever worked, ever! Fake tans generally do not agree with my skin, particularly my legs! But I still wanted to give it a go, because since coming back off holiday and loving how tanned I was, I want to stay tanned, whether it is real or out of a bottle, haha! 

 Here is what I was sent:

 I was send one of their Self Tanning Liquids, a Self Tanning Mousse, a Self Tanning Spray and an applicator mitt.

I was advised that the liquid and the spray were probably best for my pale skin.

So, I shaved my legs the day before I first used the tan. I opted to use the Spray Tan as it was a little less scary than the liquid, as you just spray it on to the area you want to tan, and then with the applicator mitt you buff it in in circular motions.

Before I used the tan, I exfoliated everywhere I was using the tan, as well as put a teeny tiny bit of moisturiser on my knees, elbows, around my ankles and around my wrists, just to stop it from going orange and cling to my dry areas, and ultimately look horrible.

It advices you to leave it at least 7 hours from when you apply the fake tan until you bathe.

Applying the tan was super easy, it only took around 15 minutes to apply 2 layers to my whole body! It does have instant colour, but I did notice that later on in the day the colour had developed further and it was a little on the orange side, and admittedly I was a little scared. I left it 24 hours until I bathed, and I was hoping this would even the tan and reduce the orangeness, and it most certainly did that!

In the following pictures the top one is before applying the tan (super pale, I know), the middle picture is after around 10 hours of having the tan on, and the bottom picture is after I had bathed, and you can see it took away the orange tint and it looks a lot more natural than the middle photo.

When you first apply the tan it has no horrible self tan smell but as the colour deepened the smell started to come, but it went away when I bathed, so it didn't bother me at all. It still wasn't as strong as other fake tans I have used.

Since these pictures I have used the darker mousse all over my body, and again, I love it! I am loving the tanned life again, haha!

I would highly recommend this tan, I love it! A tan that actually works for me YAY! I just wouldn't recommend applying this on the same day that you want to go out clubbing, or whatever, I would apply the day before and bathe on the day you're going out so you are left with a natural even looking tan.

The self tanning mousse retails at £18 and can be bought here http://www.tantastic.co.uk/productdetails/3541/tantastic-self-tanning-mousse-150ml-/

The self tanning liquid retails at £15 and can be bought here

http://www.tantastic.co.uk/productdetails/3543/tantastic-self-tanning-liquid-150ml-/

The self tanning spray tan retails at £15 and can be bought here

http://www.tantastic.co.uk/productdetails/3531/tantastic-self-tanning-spray-tan-150ml-/

The applicator mitt retails at £3.25 and can be bought here

http://www.tantastic.co.uk/productdetails/3529/tantastic-applicator-mitt/

They also do other products, such as travel sized bronzer, glitter spray and a gift pack, all products can be bought on their website

http://www.tantastic.co.uk/shop/

Again, thank you so much to TanTastic for sending me these amazing products, I am literally in love and I am obsessed with fake tanning now! I will only ever use these products now because they are the only ones that have ever worked for me! I have used more expensive and cheaper products, but this is amazing. Thank you :)

Hope you all liked this post, as this fake tan is literally amazing!

My next blog post will be about a makeup look I have done using MAC stone lipliner, so keep your eye out for that :)

<3

Nicole Guerriero Inspired Makeup Look...

Hey everyone :)

I wanted to do a makeup look on myself, that was inspired by someone, and after a lot of searching, I eventually decided on doing a look inspired by my favourite YouTuber, Nicole Guerriero. No one can deny how absolutely stunning she is, and I came across a picture on her Instagram page that I loved, and wanted to do a similar look.

Here's the look, with Nicole on the left and my look on the right:

 And here is my before and after:

Here are the products I used:

On my brows I used Soap and Glory's Archery pencil, and Benefit's Gimme Brow.
I also used Khroma Beauty's Quickie mascara (which is one of my favourite mascaras EVER), as well as Benefit's Roller Lash mascara, for more dramatic lashes, without the need of falsies.
For the eyeliner I used my all time favourite liquid liner, by the Poundshop's own makeup brand called Makeup Gallery, and a No7 felt tip liner just to mark where the wing would be before using the liquid eyeliner. I also used a HelenE eyeliner on my lower lash line.

 I also used the MUA essential mattes palette on my eyes, Nicole's eyeshadow looked super simple, so I just used the first colour (the lightest) all over the lid and the the light brown colour (top row, last colour) in the crease.

On the face I used L'oreal's nude magique blur cream, followed by Benefit's Erase Paste on any blemishes and on my under eyes. I then used my sample sized Dior Star foundation, followed by a combination of Maybelline's The Eraser Eye and Fit Me concealer, under my eyes, and in the area's I'd highlight.

I set my under eye concealer with MAC's Prep and Prime Transparent Finishing Powder, and set the rest of my face with Seventeen's Miracle Matte Loose Powder. I contoured with Freedom's   Pro Contour Kit in fair, and used Benefit's Dandelion powder as a blush, and highlighted using MUA's Undress Your Skin highlighter in the shade.

Finally, to recreate Nicole's bold red lip, I used MUA's lip liner in the shade Red Drama, to line the lips, then filled in the lips using L'oreal's Colour Riche Collection Privee in the shade Blake's Red.

I loved this makeup look, ignoring the fact it was the worst lipstick application ever.

I loved the red lipstick, and I loved the contour kit by Freedom!

I hope you liked this post, I have another blog post coming soon about a makeup look using MAC's stone lipliner. But before then I will be doing a blog post review/first impressions of a product that was sent to me recently, so keep an eye out for that. :)

Top 5 foundations... And my favourite brushes to apply them with...

Today I will be talking about foundation.

Now, for me, when it comes to foundation, I prefer full coverage, something that will make my skin look as flawless as possible. I hate light coverage foundations, probably because I have so many blemishes, redness and uneven skin tone that I want to cover, so light coverage foundations do not work well for me.

As well as my top 5 foundations I have also included my top 3 brushes for applying foundation, as it really makes a difference to how it looks depending on how you apply it, and I am personally not a fan of using my fingers to apply foundation.

Firstly I will talk about the most expensive one, Smashbox Studio Skin foundation which retails at £29.
It is a lot of money, and I wouldn't usually spend so much on a foundation, I actually got this for free when Smashbox was doing one of their events in which the first 20 customers at certain Boots stores across the UK got a certain free product.
But this foundation, I would say, is worth the money, it is a full coverage foundation, yes it is quite thick and I did think it felt a little cakey on the skin at first, but I think it was more due to my application than the foundation itself. It is very long lasting, and gives you a flawless complexion. Overall though, this would probably be more suited for evening wear, or special occasion wear, even though I do wear this in the day because I like full coverage, it could be too much for some people to be an everyday kind of foundation.
You can buy it here:
http://www.boots.com/en/Smashbox-Studio-Skin-15-Hour-Wear-Hydrating-Foundation_1272577/

Next, is Max Factors Miracle Touch Liquid Illusion foundation, retailing at £12.99.
I won't say too much about this product, as I have spoke about it in my Current Favourites post, but generally this foundation is so nice.
I didn't mention it in my previous post, but it feels so hydrating on the skin, probably due to the 'liquid illusion' so it feels lovely, and not at all cakey.
You can buy it here:
http://www.boots.com/en/Max-Factor-Miracle-Touch-Foundation_125268/

Next, Max Factors Lasting Performance foundation, which retails at £9.99.
For £9.99 this foundation is a steal, it really does feel like a more expensive foundation. It is a full coverage foundation that lasts all day! It is probably very comparable to the Smashbox Studio Skin actually. Yes the packaging isn't too great, but the product is what we use at the end of the day!
It does feel a little cakey sometimes, but as long as you buff it into the skin really well, it shouldn't be a problem.
You can buy it here:
http://www.boots.com/en/Max-Factor-Lasting-Performance-Foundation_5882/

Next, is L'oreal True Match foundation, which retails at £9.99.
This will probably be no surprise to some of you, as it seems all bloggers and you tubers love this foundation, well the vast majority anyway, and that is because it is actually an amazing foundation. It is a build able coverage but even with one layer it still covers a lot of imperfections. It feels light on the skin, and the shade range is incredible! It blends into the skin perfectly also! Whenever anyone asks me what foundation I'd recommend I always say L'oreal true match instantly! It's a no brainer really!
You can buy it here:
http://www.boots.com/en/LOreal-Paris-True-Match-Foundation_16049/

Finally, is the L'oreal Infallible 24hour Matte foundation, which retails at £7.99!!
Again, this will probably be no surprise, as everyone seems to raving about this foundation really, but I really do love it!
It is one of my most reached for foundations, it lasts all day, as you'd expect from the name, and it makes your skin look flawless, I always love my makeup when I use this product. It doesn't feel cakey on the skin, it isn't too thick or too thin, the packing despite being slightly basic, is still nice, and it blends really nicely.
It also, being matte, doesn't need setting with a powder, unlike the other 4 foundations I have spoke about, which I like, because despite the fact I usually always set my foundation, it is nice to know that with this one I don't have to! As in the summer months I don't always want to set my foundation.
It really is worth so much more than £7.99, so given the price and the performance of the foundation this would probably be my all time favourite! As it is cheaper than the True Match foundation.
You can buy it here:
http://www.boots.com/en/LOreal-Paris-Infallible-Matte-Foundation_1655157/

Next, the makeup brushes, like I said, I don't like applying foundation with my fingers, so I always use a brush! I also don't like applying foundation with a beauty blender either, and tend to stick to applying concealer with that, but that's probably for another blog post, haha.

The first brush I love applying foundation with is the Real Techniques Bold Metals Triangle Foundation brush. retailing at £22.
The brush itself is beautiful, and the shape of the brush is so unique, which made me want it so badly, but the triangle shape really does offer more than the fact it makes it looks nice. Being triangle in shape means you can use the same brush to get into each little bit of the face like around the eyes, nose and mouth. It is a weighted brush too so it is lovely to use.
You can buy it here:
http://www.boots.com/en/Bold-Metals-Collection-by-Real-Techniques-101-Triangle-Foundation_1645013/

Another, more affordable brush I love though is the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, which retails at £9.99.
This brush is super dense, so applies foundation flawlessly, and doesn't product brush stroke marks in the foundation as you apply it. It really buffs the product into the skin too which makes it blend into the skin more seamlessly, and makes it feel less cakey and more natural. The only thing I dislike about this brush is how hard it is to clean, the product gets right inside the brush, no matter how often you wash it, which makes washing really difficult given how dense the brush it. I use this brush less often now because of how hard it is to wash, which is a shame because it gives a lovely finish.
You can buy it here:
http://www.boots.com/en/Real-Techniques-Expert-Face-Brush_1277695/

Finally, probably my favourite brush, is Primark's own brand, PS Love's Stippling Brush, retailing at around £1.50!
It is just a small stippling brush, but I like this as you can reach every little bit of the face, that might be more difficult with big brushes. I find that when applying foundation with this and dotting it on the face then blending it into the skin in circular motions leaves an airbrushed like finish. I really didn't expect to love this brush so much, but it is one of the best brushes I have ever bought, and next time I have the money and I am near a Primark I will be stocking up on these brushes because I love them! I highly recommend this brush!

I hope this post was useful for some of you, and let me know what you thought :)

Tomorrow I will be doing a makeup look inspired by my favourite youtuber, and if all goes well I will doing a blog post about it tomorrow, or Thursday :)

New favourite lip colour!!

I I have a new favourite lip colour!

I have just discovered how nice some lip liners can look when used all over the lips, instead of lipstick.

This is the Essence lip liner in the shade 06 satin mauve. I am in love with it!

It is so creamy, and not at all drying on the lips, and somehow, even though I haven't overdrawn my lips, it makes my lips look bigger, which I like.

This lip liner is a steal at around £1, from Wilkinsons. 

I have other Essence lip liners too, so I will be seeing if they look just as nice all over the lips as this one.

Hope you guys liked this quick little blog post, and if any of you have this lip liner, or go and buy it, let me know what you think :)

New blog post later today, my top 5 foundations :) 

Freedom makeup swatches...

Here it is, some swatches from my Freedom makeup haul! I am missing a few items, because they weren't at hand, but most of it is all here, enjoy :)

This is the Pro Melts Lipgloss in the shade just do it, as I said in my haul post, it is a little streaky but if you build it up this reduces.

This is the Pro Lipstick in the shade red wine, it is super pigmented.

This is the Pro Glow in the shade Meow, it is very subtle on my skin tone, but it would still make a gorgeous highlight.

This is the eyeshadow in the shade smoulder 213, this product was already heavily pigmented without the need for layering up the colour.

This is the eyeshadow in the shade gilded 217, a beautiful bronzey gold.

This is the blush in the shade lethal weapon, a super pigmented barbie pink blush.

This is the eyeshadow in the shade brights 227, a light, shimmery purple, absolutely gorgeous centre of the lid colour!

This is the Pro Glow in the shade Purr, this is slightly more pink, I used this as a blush and I loved it!

This is the blush in the shade beyond, a super shimmery pinky orange colour, it would also probably make a nice eyeshadow colour too!

This is the Pro Contour kit in fair, as you can see the highlight is super light, which I love for my pale skin, and the contour (a bit above the highlight) is very subtle, hence why it is perfect again for my pale skin and for an everyday contour.

This is the eyeshadow in the shade gilded 216, a light shimmery pinky shade, again, a perfect centre of the eyelid shade, or even an inner corner highlight shade.

This is the Pro lipstick in the shade Flushed, it is so pigmented and creamy, and just a gorgeous pink shade.

This is the Pro lipstick in the shade sooner or later, which is one of my favourites, a beautiful pinky based nude, I know I will be wearing this a lot!

This is the eyeshadow in the shade brights 228, a beautiful light purple, which took two layers to reach this colour, which is still amazing given the price.

This is the eyeshadow in the shade Brights 230.

This is the lipstick in the shade Far Away, I LOVEEEEE it! This was only about two swipes of the lipstick, it is amazingly pigmented and just a beautiful colour!

Finally, this is the lipstick in the shade Luxe, it is so pigmented and beautiful, I have no idea when I would wear this, but I know I will eventually find an excuse to!

Just a quick little swatch post for you, as it was highly requested on my Instagram.

My next blog post will be about foundation! So keep checking back for that :)

Remember to use the code BEFREETOMAKEUP for 20% off everything at http://freedommakeuplondon.com

<3